John e



(No ModeL) I J; E. THOMAS.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 548,098. Patented Oct. 15, 1895.

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l/Vl/EIVTOI? A TTOR/VEYS v UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

JOHN E. THOMAS, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 CHARLESH. REID, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-C O U P L l N G.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,098, dated October15, 1895.

Application filed June 1 2, 18 95.

f0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. THOMAS, residing at Richmond, in the countyof Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in carcouplings; and it consists incertain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, aswill be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved coupling.Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the draw-head. Fig. 3 is adetail View of the coupling-pin, and Fig. 4 isa detail view of thehinged jaw.

The coupling is of thetwin-jaw type having a fixed jaw A and apivotedjaw or knuckle B, the latter having a shank O, which is locked bythe coupling pin or latch D. This shank G is shown curved, and its freerear end or head 0 has a tapered lateral extension 0, forming a camwhose function is to engage a shoulder on the coupling-pin andautomatically raise the latter, as hereinafter more fully described.

The pin D fits in ways formed vertically in the draw-head, is madenon-circular to prevent it from turning, has an inclined surface D,along which the shank of the pivoted knuckle moves, has a shoulder Dbelow which the cam of said shank engages, is provided below its cam Dwith a stop-shoulder D to limit the downward movement of the pin, andhas an extension D projecting down through and below the draw-head tobrace and guide the pin. Below the draw-head the extension D has aremovable pin or stop D which limits the upward, movement of the pin andprevents the same from being jolted or jarred out of the draw-head orotherwise accidentally displaced.

In operation the pin in its lowermost position is stopped with itsshoulder D sufficiently above the upper face of the lower wall of thedraw-head to permit the cam or tapered portion 0 of the knuckle-shank Gto pass under it when the knuckle B is swung on its pivot by reason ofengagement with a corresponding one on an opposite car. When the cam 0thus passes beneath the shoulder serial No. 552,576. (No model.)

D of the pin D, the latter is first lifted till it passes from the cam 0onto the Hat horizontal portion 0 which intervenes the cam O andvertical point or nose 0 While such portion (3 is passing beneath theshoulder D the pin has time to recover from the upward impulse given itby the cam C" and then drops off and into engagement with the nose 0 andlocks the knuckle B.

It will be seen that the passage of the cam O beneath the pin-shoulder Dis facilitated or rendered practicable by beveling the shank ofthe pin Dat a point D, Fig. 3, adjacent to the shoulder D. In other words, suchbevel D permits the cam O and head 0 to pass without obstruction ordifficulty back and forth under the shoulder D As'will be more fullydescribed hereinafter, I provide means whereby, in case the draw-head ispulled out of the car, it will be supported upon the draw-head to whichit may happen to be coupled, and thus be prevented from dropping andproducing serious damage, as is now commonly the case. In order that thecoupling-pin may not be drawn to uncoupled position when the draw-headis so drawn out, I prefer to construct such pin as shown, in order thatit may slide freely 01f its operating-rod F in case the draw-head ispulled out of the car,and, further, to provide for the limited upwardmovement of said pin without necessitating its lifting the uncouplingdevices. To this end I provide the coupling-pin D at its upper end withhorizontal laterally-extended hook G, whose free end has a pendentshoulder or claw. An L-shaped hanger F engages this hook and is pivotedto the arm of the crank-rod F, that is supported and adapted to rock inkeepers secured to the end of the wall of the car, as shown. Thehorizontal form and lateral extension of the hook G permits all duelateral oscillation of the draw-head, and the pendent portion of thefree end of the hook prevents disengagement of the parts, even if thecrank-rod F slides endwise in its keepers. Further, the pivoted hanger Fenables the pin D to be lifted with less difficulty than it could be ifthe crankwhereas the hanger F, being pivoted on the crank-arm F, swingsfree and moves in an are as the pin D rises.

An important feature of my improvement is comprised in the overlappingportion provided upon the draw-head, whereby, in case it is pulled outof the car, it will be supported by the draw-head to which it is coupledand thus be prevented from dropping onto the track. In the constructionshown this overlapping portion is a laterally-projecting shelf or wingmounted on an upwardly-extended portion 1 at the front edge of the fixedjaw, such extension being braced on the rear by ribs 1:. This shelf H inoperation lapsover the hinged jaw of the meeting coupling, and in casethe draw-head is pulled out such shelf by resting on said hinged jawwill support the draw-head. The shelf H is arranged sufficiently aboveits hinged knuckle to permit the desired vertical play of the coupleddrawhcads and also to adapt the draw-head for coupling with draw-headsarranged at different heights, as desired. The overlapping arrangementof the supporting portion renders each draw-head of theimproved couplingselfsupporting-that is to say, it the draw-head provided with myimprovement happens to be pulled out of place when coupled to anordinary draw-head it may be supported upon such ordinary draw-head,each of the improved draw-heads being self-protecting.

While it is preferred to form the supporting portion or shelf integralwith the drawhead, it might be made separate from and suitably securedto such draw-head, and also,

if desired, it might be supported upon the portion carrying the hingedknuckle instead of at the opposite side of the draw-head, as hereinshown.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. Theimprovementin car couplings herein described consisting of thedraw-head having a pivoted jaw or knuckle, and provided opposite thesame with a fixed jaw, the supporting portion or shelf mounted on thefixed jaw opposite the hinged knuckle whereby to support the draw-headupon a coupled draw head, the hinged knuckle being provided at its rearend or point with a projecting cam or incline, the pin having a shoulderfor engagement by said cam or incline, and having at its upper end alaterally extending seat open at one side and the operating rod havingan arm bearing under such seat said arm being free and unobstructed atit its forward end whereby in case the draw-head is pulled out it mayfreely disengage from ,the operating rod, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. In a car coupling, the combination, with the pivoted draw-head, andthe coupling-pin having the horizontal and laterally extended hook, G,of the right-angular hanger, F, and the rocking crank, F, to which saidhanger is pivoted, as shown and described.

JOHN E. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

C. H. Ruin, P. B. TURPIN.

